1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an MFP, a job execution system, and a job execution method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In addition to image forming apparatuses that form images, such as copiers, printers, and facsimiles, multi-function devices called MFPs (Multi Function Peripherals) have conventionally been used in company offices and the like.
Recently, controlling information processing devices (i.e. personal computers) to operate only when an IC card has been inserted in the device has been proposed as a technique for preventing unauthorized access (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-331234).
A sensitive document printing method is an example of a method to which such a technique is applied. In this method, when an authentication print job has been sent to an image forming apparatus from a terminal device, the user that sent the job inputs a user ID and password using an operation panel of the image forming apparatus. If the authentication process is a success, the print output commences. Note that “authentication print job” refers to a print job that is executed when the user that sent the print job from a terminal device to an image forming apparatus has performed a predetermined authentication operation using an operation panel of the image forming apparatus and that authentication process has succeeded.
In addition to the case where the authentication process is executed by the user inputting a user ID and a password via an operation panel, there are also cases where the user performs a predetermined operation using an authentication apparatus, such as an IC card authentication apparatus or a finger vein authentication apparatus, thereby executing an authentication process. Furthermore, there are cases where the user performs authentication by inputting the job ID of the authentication print job along with a password, thereby executing the authentication print job.
However, the authentication process is not executed in the case where the user that sent the authentication print job performs a predetermined authentication operation using the image forming apparatus but the authentication print job has not yet been received, or in other words, is in the process of being received. For this reason, it is necessary for the user to wait for time to pass and then once again perform the authentication operation, which is extremely troublesome.